how to get into milking?

[andwhy6]

does anyone know anything bout gettin into milking snakes cuz i know you make good money but i dont know what kind of permits and things you would need to have or who you would contact to sell the venom to. this was just a thought of mine. IM CRAZY

[JLC]

Yeah....that's a pretty insane thing to aspire to. But valuable, nonetheless.


I would guess that you'd need to find someone to apprentice with. And such an apprenticeship would probably take a long time to get the kind of education, knowledge, and experience under your belt to keep you from being a danger to the animals, yourself, and those around you.

And from what little I understand of such things...milkers either spend a LOT of time in the field doing catch & release with wild animals...so you'd need to live/travel to where the animals are. OR...they breed and keep their own animals to milk, which would involve a tremendous investment up front.

There's a recent Reptiles Magazine article about milking....I'll see if I can find which issue its in so you can look it up. Very informative on the sort of commitment and determination it would take to be successful at that sort of career choice.

[andwhy6]

damn sounds pretty heavy. im going to school now to become an exotic animal vet so maybe someday down the road. it just looks like it would be a freakin rush lol

[uro1001]

do you even have venomous experience? first off you need to be certified. next you need to focas on a specific species(sea snake milking is in very high demand). its a pretty rushed idea for someone with 1 bp only(according to your profile) and very risky and i would HIGHLY doubt anyone will be interested in making antivenom from someone not very reputable

[daniel1983]

The amount of animals that must be cared for to run a successful venom harvesting business is astounding. I am pretty sure it takes somewhere along the lines of 20-30 milkings in order to produce one vial of antivenon. And the number of vial sales that it would take to keep a business running is pretty high, so you would have to stock large amounts of venomous snakes.....and handle those snakes very frequently. There was a great writeup about it all in a Reptiles magazine from last year. See if you can dig up the issue, it is a good read.

When interested in dealing with venomous animals, there is one main rule that should always be followed......If you have to ask questions, you are not ready.

[Dread]

Daniel where are you getting your numbers? Though I agree with your advice on this topic, the actual production of antivenom is very easy (compared with the risk involved with the milking). Whether you go the whole bleeding of an exposed rabbit, or harvesting eggs from an exposed hen/emu... one single milking will produce enough antiserum (with exposure) containing antibodies raised against the particular venom used.

And seasnake milking is definitely where the money is at! Those and vipers. The next several years will see an explosion of research and patenting of compounds from seasnake venom, and viper venom has been used for decades as an ACE-inhibitor (used to fight high blood pressure). Probably safer to work with seasnakes... and much nicer work locations too

[andwhy6]

i was just curious about the subject. ive had snakes throughout growing up and have had a few experiences with venomous snakes as well as other animals. im lookin to get a job in a zoo at the moment. hopefully in the reptile area. i was asked about how i feel about being around dangerous animals at my last interview and i thought of this. just curious thats all and thought someone on here may be able to point me in the right direct

[daniel1983]

Daniel where are you getting your numbers?

My numbers were a bit off from my source....but I do remember hearing higher numbers for cobra milkers in India from a Nat. Geo. show a while back.....like I said "pretty sure"

In order to provide any significant amount of venom, you need many snakes. One gram of copperhead venom sells for about $60, but it takes six to 10 copperheads to get one gram. Often, the ratio of the cost to care for the animals to the income generated by the venom does not balance favorably.

[andwhy6]

BTW i know im not ready to jump into grabbin a snake that could potentially kill me lol but i would love to find someone that could teach me. i think i would love the rush of the job

and thank you guys for all your info on the subject

[daniel1983]

BTW i know im not ready to jump into grabbin a snake that could potentially kill me lol but i would love to find someone that could teach me. i think i would love the rush of the job

and thank you guys for all your info on the subject

Not trying to sway you away from your dreams either

That article was from the all-venomous issue of Reptiles,....October 2006 issue if you are interested in back ordering it Good read.